Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas, A Rebirth? Or are The Holidays Destructive

For most of us, Christmas whether as a religious experience, or for others, a winter pause to reflect on their lives, it is a special time of the year. While Christmas Trees or Menorahs reflect in many windows, it is a time that even when things are rough financially, people can still come together.

For others, those tormented by family problems, mental illness, flung out on the streets after losing their jobs, It ain't so great. We are starting to see many more homeless and much more shoplifting at local grocery stores. This is a rough time and in my opinion isn't going to get better anytime soon.

Our manufacturing base has been destroyed by cheaper labor off shore. Seldom, and not just at Walmart, does one see any products not made either in China, Japan, Korea or Malaysia.These conditions bring on crisis's that perhaps wouldn't have manifested themselves had times been better. Sunday afternoon changed Bayview perhaps forever.

Today, and for this Christmas season, Bayview mourns one of it's longest residents and her family as a crazed neighbor sick with insanity and God knows what else, invaded their home while they were peacefully watching TV. Armed with a hammer he snuck into the house and proceeded to flail left and right at everyone seated around the living room. Two of the four occupants escaped serious injury. The other two, Patty Heath and L. Yvonne Wallis, a long time local resident didn't.

Yvonne is still in critical condition at this time after a plate was inserted in her scull. Unfortunately, Patty expired the next day from her fatal wounds. We understand that in addition to her head wounds, she had terminal cancer and was wasting away, weighing only 75 pounds at the time of her death.

Larry Cragun, the attacker, was known as a strange guy that picked arguments with neighbors. He was on supervised probation in Bonner County from a charge of beating his former wife severely, from two years or so ago. He remarried and had a 3 year old daughter with wife, Katy. She left him several times and finally stayed away. The question of why the adult probation department didn't detect the obvious mental illness as it progressed, is a question that many will be asking, especially the families of Yvonne and Patty. Fortunately, both Larry's baby was with her mom and the Heath baby was with Grandma on the fateful afternoon.

Trusted with the protection of the public with the powers of re-incarceration of the bad people, they were satisfied with periodic drug and alcohol testing. They totally ignored the repeated calls to Cragan's residence with weird,suppositions that the neighbors were, stealing from him, stealing food, poisoning his food while in his house, and still these reports either never reached probation, or they failed to bring him in for evaluation.

Today, and on through the holiday season, all of Bayview mourns the death of a friend, and the unknown future of Yvonne whose condition has yet to play out. A fund has been started to benefit the family of whom none had jobs. Two stalwart citizens,Paul Celeri and Vic Woolever have taken it upon themselves to help out. They are distributing collection cans and are in the process of establishing a donation account at a local bank. That information will be forthcoming on this blog when available.

We ask that those who read these words, say a prayer or wish good thoughts for this unfortunate family who did absolutely nothing to provoke this mindless, murderous attack on a peaceful gathering. Please, if you can find a way, give liberally to this fund for this innocent family that has been torn apart by an insane or drugged up or both,fanatic.

UPDATE: According to the spokesman-Review, Yvonne's condition has been upgraded to Fair.

Christmas Eve: Yvonne was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is now home. She is expected to fully recover. I took a little food up to their home tonite. A family that has been thoroughly destroyed. I don't know how a family gets past this kind of thing. I guess prayer is about the only cure.

5 comments:

Nidagal said...

I haven't seen Yvonne, but Louie did. He say's that she is doing good, and back to the same old Yvonne. Thankful for still having my friend.

Anonymous said...

Read this in the Bonner County Bee, some sad things have been said about Ms Barron by LisaBrand. I couldn't agree more with this respone by LogicFirst!
LisaBrand: Do you know Ms. Barron? Do you know for a fact she is to blame? Do you know for a fact she wasn't mislead and manipulated by Mr. Cragun like much of Bayview? Are you even aware that these newspaper articles are quoting the police report, which is based on severe emotional distress just after the event, and NOT Ms. Barron her self? Are you aware that this country is full of people hoping to help the mentally ill, a mess of women hoping to "fix" the men they find destructive, a bounty of compassionate people who work with the disturbed? If you attach blame to anyone other than Cragun himself, you make Cragun look better, look less blameworthy and less despicable. DO NOT forget who did this crime...we are responsible for our personal choices and actions; Cragun is responsible and must pay for this horror...no one else, not his own family, not his ex-wife, not his daughters, not his associates...if we blame others, then we must blame every single person that let this classic case of schizophrenia on the streets without medical care and supervision. Perhaps, just perhaps LisaBrand, Ms. Barron was trying to get him into therapy, was trying to get him on medication, was trying to stop such a tragedy from entering this world, but how much power does one person really have with such a black heart and a sickened mind? The mentally ill , for better or worse, still have rights that prevent forced hospitalization...and no one but Cragun himself could have segregated himself from society and into the care of trained mental health doctors and professionals. Don't redirect blame...keep it squarely on Mr. Cragun where it belongs. If we blame others, then we blame those who may in fact be trying to help: if it's the season for Christ, compassion, and care, then remember even Christ helped the evil, the infirm, the sickened, and the wicked, but even Christ can't cure or prevent evil and tragedies such as the one Cragun inflicted on MULTIPLE people and MULTIPLE families. All involved, all hurt by this man regardless of their previous hope for health, compassion, or even naivete, should SUE CRAGUN, not one another. Let Cragun pay, not others.

Bay Views said...

I didn't see the article that the Bee purportedly published. If they did, it was highly irresponsible reporting.The young lady in question here was described to me by her father, as somewhat slow. She is 25 years old and this was her very first boyfriend. As the closest neighboer to all of the subjects, both victim and perpetrator, I can assure you that the young lady is also a victim. A victim of being in a relationship that she had no previous experience with. Cragun is quite the con artist. Please leave this unfortunate young lady alone.

Ric said...

Herb to you and all in Bayview I wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of Holidays.
Ric

Anonymous said...

To make any comments about the young lady involved with incident is cruel. I have known her parents for many years and they are caring people. As Herb stated she is a victim also. To judge her is unfair. Cragun is a con artist and a master manipulator. Unfortunately no one saw what was coming.

Many blessings to Yvonne and the Barons.

NJ